Maybe writing a book has been a dream
of yours, or maybe someone said to you that you “ought to be a writer” and now
you are wondering how to get started.
Be honest with yourself – What does
writing mean to you? Before you answer that know that there are NO right or
wrong answers, but in order to be in the right mindset you have to know yourself
and the distance you are willing to go. Do you enjoy writing or is it something
you would be willing to do as a (possible) means of making money? Do you have
partially written manuscripts or poetry that you’ve tucked away in a drawer?
Why haven’t you finished them and do you want to?
Before we begin, understand that
writing is not an easy way to make a living. Writing is very personal and there
is normally a lot of rejection that writers receive so there can be enormous
heartbreak. Very few writers make a living by their craft alone. You’ve got to
be able to market and promote yourself and your work if you want to write
professionally no matter who publishes you.
However when you have the writing “bug”
it can be the most fulfilling and exciting career and it is worth the long
nights, low pay, and dealing with cold-hearted rejections. And who knows, you
may wind up being one of the few who can live independently as a full-time
writer.
Get into the writer mindset: prepare
your writing spot and tools; schedule uninterrupted time to write (preferably
one hour or more a day); and figure out when you feel most creative, early
morning or late at night. Just start writing with pen and paper, composing on
the computer keyboard, or even just using a good old-fashioned typewriter. Experiment
with what works best for you. Set a timer and begin writing the story you want
to write whatever it is, don’t worry about grammar, spelling or even
chronology. Free-write, tell your story and don’t worry about rambling, write
all the way to the end – there will be plenty of time for editing afterwards.
After you’ve self-edited, letting someone read and critique your work will be
helpful since our minds let us see what we meant to say and not necessarily
what is on the paper.
When the book is in its (near)
finished form, make a list of major events (conflicts and resolutions) – your list
can be chronological or simply in the order of importance. Prepare a two-minute
speech describing your book (elevator pitch) using just a few of the conflicts
you listed. Practice writing a short paragraph (three to five sentences) about
your book that will HOOK your reader. In a query letter you need to grab the
interest of your reader in the first ten words. Remember the pitch is about the
book, not about why someone should publish or buy your book. Congratulations, you’ve
just written the opening to your query letter.
If you get a chance on your first try,
KUDOS, but if you don’t – try again. Perseverance is crucial and it is the only
thing that almost every successful writer has learned early in their careers.
Once you get that book out there, no matter which route you’ve taken towards publication,
you’ve got to market the book; marketing is simply telling everyone about your
book.
Go ahead, get started writing.
Writing Exercise: Write a short story based on the last book
you read (or wrote) – write yourself (the real you) into the story as a major
character.
Writing Prompt: Make a list of the top ten interruptions that
keep you from writing. Can you change any of them?
Challenge Assignment: Write a brief, but honest, essay about your
goals/dreams/desires. What are your motivations? Why are your goals important
to you? What would you do once you achieve these goals?
The Living, Breathing, Writing Kindle Blog has been in existence for six years - from now through August I am re-posting revised blogs from the earliest weeks in addition to the normal weekly posts. Each re-posted blog will feature a Writing Exercise, a Writing Prompt and a Challenge Assignment.
